Assessing Washington Redskins first-round options: S Nasir Adderley
By Ian Cummings
Scouting Nasir Adderley
There isn’t much tape on Nasir Adderley, but it doesn’t take long to see what kind of player he is, and what kind of player he can become in the NFL.
The potential jumps off the screen with Nasir Adderley. He’s a very good athlete, with clear developmental upside. He can generate lots of momentum very quickly, encapsulating his excellent burst. Adderley isn’t just a vertical athlete, either. His hips flip with ease, and he has the flexibility to maintain speed and leverage all at once. His Pro Day results, shared by Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal, accentuate his athletic talent.
Adderley’s lateral quickness and flexibility also allows him to close pursuit from bad angles, but generally, he has a decent feel for angles, although he can be inconsistent. As a tackler, Adderley is fairly solid, with good form and strength to wrap players up, and the fortitude to win one-on-one collisions. Speaking of collisions… Adderley feasts on conflict. He’s an absolute aggressor on the field. He fights blockers relentlessly on run snaps, and his attitude is contagious on defense. He’s a bit inconsistent with run fits and gap surveillance, but you never have to worry about his effort. He files into trench warfare seamlessly, ferocious with his hands.
Adderley’s aggression in run defense doesn’t translate in open space when it doesn’t have to; he isn’t reckless with his range, as he generally knows when to exercise caution, in order not to sacrifice his tackling angle. That said, he can lose his balance when he cuts his angle too short, limiting his leverage. But with his athleticism, Adderley is good at recovering.
Adderley’s brightest moments are in coverage, where he flashes the range to cover large chunks of the field very quickly, and where he punishes receivers over the middle of the field. He’s very physical when contesting passes, and he attacks the ball at the catch point with definite ball skills. Adderley can be late diagnosing out-breaking routes, but he follows the play wherever it goes, and he reads the quarterback’s eyes well. With some development and NFL film work, he can be an impact starter.